


Back At The Bar

by Torlek



Series: Divine Companions [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Chuck is God, Dysfunctional Family, Family, Family Reunion, Family Secrets, Hurt/Comfort, Sibling Bonding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-23
Updated: 2018-08-09
Packaged: 2018-08-10 17:34:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 11,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7854571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Torlek/pseuds/Torlek
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Amara and Chuck continue to be family, in God's Bar of all places. Along the way, something about humanity is shared that will forever reshape their relationships with each other and with the rest of Creation. (AU follow-up to Season 11 Episodes 20 and 23)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Back At The Bar

Amara and Chuck find themselves seated at the Bar. Their family meeting had just ended, and it was a refreshing time for the two of them. Now, the very place God had constructed to hide from the Darkness became the place where the two of them could become confidantes once again.

The older sister read her younger brother's autobiographical manuscript. It still carried words from before their reconciliation, and she rolled her eyes upon reading some of them, but she shed a tear or two upon reading others.

"Your secretary did a very good job writing about your silence to prayers and about your elusion of divine intervention," Amara remarked.

"Thanks," Chuck smiled.

The two of them wished to exchange thoughts while being engaged in conversation, and thus many thoughts were exchanged. Among them was the conversation Chuck had with the late Metatron, the one who spurred him to divine intervention once more.

_And the worst part? They do it in my name…_

_I took responsibility… by leaving…_

_Eh… It's her time to shine…_

_But coward? I am not hiding. I am just done watching my experiments' failures…_

_You all disappointed me…_

Upon the exchange of that thought, the two siblings shed tears, stood up, extended their arms, and grasped one another in a tight embrace. Truly, the Darkness thought, her younger sibling changed. God wanted the sense of family back between the two of them because of all the letdowns since that otherwise beautiful Creation, all of which had just been shared with her here, of all places. If there were any lingering doubts on the part of the older confidante, about wanting the sense of family back and about not wanting to go back to the way things were, then they were gone.


	2. Brainstorming

"So what do you intend to do now?" asked Amara.

The Darkness empathized with all the irony. Though the very place God had constructed to hide from her had become the place where the two of them became confidantes again, this bar had also become a voluntary yet emotional cage away from his own Creation and all the letdowns. Though she no longer wanted to go back to the way things were, she could not help but think that her simple wish to just be family again with her brother would be over-fulfilled.

"Well, Sis, I was thinking about what I might have missed sharing with you during our family reunion," declared Chuck.

The older sister was caught by surprise at that. Their family meeting could not have been that ordinary, not when it involved teleporting across all manner of space and time since their family breakup, and not when it involved telepathic exchanges of thoughts along the way.

"Psych!" exclaimed the younger brother.

That was met only by sarcasm and a long pause in which the two of them sat down again.

"Seriously," he mused, "I don't know now. Maybe we should brainstorm?"

The confidante was puzzled by that proposal. Never before in their family relationship have the two of them brainstormed anything.

"I wasn't entirely joking," the confidant continued, "when I said it's your time to shine."

The older sister recalled the memory of her younger brother thinking about trapping himself in her cage, in exchange for her sparing all his Creation. She also recollected something wittier.

"Well, why should I give you another opportunity to exaggerate the number of times I told you what to do and, supposedly, to make you do what I want?" challenged Amara.

A pause ensued.

"I know you were impulsive with that comment, Brother, but I just wanted to prove a point before moving on," she continued.

God smiled.

"Let's brainstorm, indeed," the Darkness agreed.


	3. Board Games Across Dimensions

Not long after the brainstorming, Amara and Chuck found themselves enjoying a board game, still in the Bar. Once upon a time, the Darkness resented God for needing something else that was just not her. After all the letdowns since that otherwise beautiful Creation, he needed her as much as she needed him.

The board game in question was the older sister's suggestion. A couple of reasons came to mind: First, she had learned that her younger brother gave himself the ability to play the guitar and speak French, and so she gave herself not just the ability to play this game like a grandmaster or a highly-developed game engine, but the elusive ability to solve it and even its variants. Second, one of the game's pieces charmed her.

Also, this board game gave the two of them an opportunity to make it look like they were simply staring at the board and its pieces, while in fact they would play, across dimensions, multiple variants of the game simultaneously.

"Feel free to move first," Amara said. True to her colours, and as a courtesy to her sibling, she played exclusively with the black pieces across dimensions.

Movements later, the older sister saw what was in common between most of the various pieces of the variants of the game, on the one hand, and the more esoteric powers exhibited by her younger brother's Creation, on the other. Many pieces were good only for a combined smiting. Some pieces could have their moments strategically, as if they were Hands of God. Fewer pieces were like the archangels.

Amara made her next move in all the variants. It just so happened that the piece was the same across dimensions, the very one whose ability she could compare with her own power. With her self-granted ability to solve the game in its many variants played, it also turned out that this move would end them all.

"Checkmate," the Darkness declared, releasing her black queen.

Across dimensions, God chuckled and toppled his white king.


	4. Balance From The Draw

"That was the most cosmic chess match anyone could ever have, Brother," remarked Amara.

In giving herself the elusive ability to solve the game and the variants played, the Darkness appreciated God's well-deserved reputation as a master strategist. Although her younger brother's strategy failed at the confrontation before their family meeting, she remembered their family meeting musings about his display of strategic mastery amongst his own Creation.

"But you went ahead and solved chess before the match, Sis," responded Chuck.

"Fine," said the older sister, "Let's have a rematch. You go ahead and solve chess, too. Two can play at that game."

"Speaking of rematch, Sis," suggested the younger brother, "Can we please play just this board and these pieces?"

Amara nodded, noting that the chess set in the Bar remained untouched during the cosmic chess match. Chuck then gave himself instantly the same ability to solve the game.

"Chess clocks or no?" asked the younger brother. The older sister shook her head.

The match to follow would become another match for the ages, albeit for different reasons than the previous one. This one would see, for the very first time, two solvers of the game playing against each other. Coming into this match, both players knew that there could be only one outcome. It did not matter, as the siblings wanted to play, anyway.

Unlike the previous match, the pieces on this board were being moved. At times, the older sister gently touched pieces on the board just to irk her younger brother, although she had intended to move those pieces all along. As pieces on both sides were being captured, they were levitated by both players in a playful but vain attempt to distract one another.

Enough time passed, and both chess solvers ultimately found themselves with insufficient pieces and positioning to checkmate one another.

"Yin and Yang, Brother," the Darkness, the predominantly dark Yin, concluded.

"Balance, Sis, balance," God, the predominantly light Yang, replied with a smile.


	5. Born Of The Darkness

Though Amara enjoyed thoroughly the chess matches she had with Chuck, she could not help but ponder more about the symbolism underlying them. After all, the Darkness knew that the very game itself represented the countless wars waged by humanity against itself since ancient times, including those waged in God's name.

A horrifying thought came to the older sister.

"Brother, despite our balance, am I somehow responsible, no matter how indirectly, for the wars represented by this game?" she popped the question.

The younger brother was caught off guard.

"Why are you asking this, Sis?" he inquired in return.

"I just remembered," Amara pondered, "a few details about our mutual trip across all manner of space and time. In your one-time favoritism, which you have since apologized for, my Mark was entrusted to… that celestial nephew, only to corrupt him. He, in turn, tempted the first humans, and from there…"

"Sis, none of that was your fault," Chuck interrupted, "in any way. Eating the forbidden fruit was way different from the first homicide, and that first homicide didn't lead to the great evil throughout humanity before the Flood. Besides, my wayward son became imprisoned himself before all the wars you mentioned."

That response did not placate the older sister, as she shed a tear and stood.

"What's the tear for?" the younger brother asked and stood in turn.

No response came, as the tear briefly turned into dark smoke before dissipating. Suddenly, Amara's irides darkened to become completely black. The visible blood vessels of her eyes darkened in the same manner and then looked as if they were bleeding. Her younger brother became terrified. The darkness coming out of the bleeding covered her sclerae. Now, the older sister's eyes were completely black.

"Why didn't you tell me that you created the humans in our image, not just yours?" Amara demanded. This revelation behind revelations, the real reason behind all the destruction caused by humanity since ancient times, shocked her into darkening her eyes the way she did just now.

"Um, Sis," Chuck prevaricated slowly, "that was a minor detail."

"Not to me," the Darkness rebutted, "In a way, humans are as much my children as they are yours!"

"Isn't that the point?" God asked, still terrified.


	6. Barbs Over The Image

Amara and Chuck stared at each other. Although far from irate to the point of seeking revenge, the Darkness was visibly upset, and any created being would have mistaken her anger for a vengeful one. For his own part, God remained terrified.

Now, the secret behind the creation and evolution of humanity had become an open rift between the two primordial entities: Not from his own image alone did the Creator bring forth all men and all women, but from the dual image of his older sister and himself. Upon hearing that the Mark's corruption did not feed the great evil throughout humanity before the Flood, the Destroyer concluded that only by being created in this dual image could humanity be capable of failing and disappointing her younger brother the way they did.

"What can I say about my being an involuntary donor, as the humans would put it?" Amara barbed, "Just what can I say about the absence of my consent?"

"It is said among them," she emphasized, "that if you play with fire, you get burned." The look of seriousness on her countenance did not fade.

"You, Brother," she spat, "played with uncontrolled darkness, and our children have grieved you and experienced things worse than pain and sorrow, all because of that!"

"Speaking of such things," she refreshed her memory grimly, "let me share with you some tragic documentaries that I watched when my human form grew up!"

With a gesture, the older sister turned on a few television screens throughout the Bar. The younger brother was made to watch a grim documentary on the Mongol conquests on one screen, a grim documentary on colonial atrocities on a second screen, an underrated documentary on the Armenian genocide on a third screen. He also watched an underrated documentary on real world wars on a fourth screen, a highly acclaimed documentary on the Holocaust on a fifth screen, a more conventional documentary on the history of miscellaneous war crimes – and their prosecution – on a sixth screen, and another documentary on the Cambodian killing fields on a seventh screen. On an eighth screen was shown an insightful documentary on the history of suicidal mass murders, including suicide bombings.

After all the documentaries were over, it became all too clear for both parties that the Darkness was not done chewing God out.


	7. Black Holes Of Creation

All the human insights from the grim documentaries had animated Amara as she continued to confront Chuck. The Darkness gave away the look of desiring to prosecute God and much more, in some court.

"Brother, how plead you to all this, plus playing to the sympathies of your older, stronger sister?" she scoffed, reminding him of all her power and referring to herself in the third person.

"Sis," her younger brother said in a low voice, "Please don't try to be my prosecutor, judge, jury, and executioner. Remember what I said about free will being in the kit? Well, that free will, which you've come to appreciate, would be incomplete without coming from our image."

"Defendant, what about your beloved sons?" Amara shot back, "You created them, their free will, and their ability to destroy, without using my likeness along the way."

"Your honour," Chuck declared mockingly, "I created them as they were, out of my youthful enthusiasm for creating for the sake of creating."

"Right," the older sister belittled, "You created them with a very immediate aim of something other than locking other beings away? Right!"

"I did say 'as they were' to refer to their free will, specifically," clarified the younger brother, "There's a reason why I asked even these immediate sons of mine to love…"

There was a brief pause.

"Our children," he continued, "more than me."

Then, the two of them exchanged all their thoughts as confidantes once again, despite their argument. Amara demanded nothing less than full disclosure and obtained it. In the process, she was not surprised upon learning three black holes underpinning the creation of humanity: that the dual image was an earnest attempt by Chuck at representing the balance his sons could never have, that he intentionally let even his sons believe that "Our Image" referred only to him and them, and that he never mentioned the intended balance to anyone.

Satisfied, the eyes of the Darkness looked human once more, while God felt relief.


	8. Beyond The Being Death

Amara gathered her thoughts before Chuck. During the family journey and exchange of thoughts across all manner of space and time, the Darkness stepped out of her comfort zone and learned from God how to create. Not long after, the former appreciated the latter's stories of stepping out of his own comfort zone and destroying things when necessary.

"I now appreciate what you are challenging me to do, Brother," the older sister remarked.

"Sis," her younger brother replied, "I know you bluffed to Dean when you said you had planned to recreate the omniverse into something more perfect than my creation, but I am by no means threatened or fearful of that prospect."

"I don't know where to begin, though," Amara despaired. Upon hearing that, a flood of ideas came to her confidant's thinking.

"Well, you didn't know who Death was as a being until I told you about him during our family meeting. That winged being may have exaggerated his self-importance when he believed and said he could be older than, and reap, yours truly, but he was just as powerful as the combined but uneven supernatural powers of my immediate sons," Chuck suggested. "Someone has to fill his shoes and maintain his vision of a natural order."

The two siblings stared at each other.

"Not you, of course," the younger brother continued.

"But," Amara responded, "Didn't you say, not too long ago, that primordial creation took you so much time? Didn't you say that the stuff of primordial creation became rare once you created this omniverse?"

"Primordial creation took me so much time, from the perspective of what I created, because I did it alone," Chuck elaborated, "All my stuff for primordial creation became rare because I didn't touch the primordial basis of dark matter. Now that we're family again, I can really slow down time from within this Bar…"

"And the primordial basis of dark matter is so abundant, at least a score times greater than all your stuff for primordial creation at their peak," the Darkness concluded, "I can use small portion of the former, equal to all of the latter, in order to create a Lesser Darkness or Dark Herald."

"Exactly," God agreed.


	9. Becoming Death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural. For this story, I own only one original character: Sefira.

Amara and Chuck went to work in the Bar. Taking her true form of a dark cloud, the Darkness used the affinity between the abundant primordial basis of dark matter and her essence to summon a small portion of that to her. Meanwhile, God, taking his true form of divine light, manipulated time across all Creation to almost, just almost, a standstill. Once the two primordial entities finish with this work, they will have done so in less than an hour of normal time.

From her true form, the older sister said, "Let there be a Lesser Darkness, a Dark Herald."

As the intensive work progressed, the Destroyer gave form, power, and insight to what was becoming a new being. So great was the power received that what was becoming a new, wingless being could be neither banished nor bound, and held more power than four or more times the firstborn son of her younger brother. So great was the resilience of its life force that part of it had to be dispersed from the onset into the very fabric of the primordial basis of dark matter. The Creator was impressed at this, what could have been a primordial creation but was far greater than such. The insight provided was of similar magnitude.

Once all that power and insight was received, the form that emerged truly was a Lesser Darkness, a dark cloud like its creator. The greater dark cloud and the divine light then assumed human form, so that the lesser dark cloud could mimic that and assume a human form of its own. Not long after, it imitated its creator and assumed the form of an adult woman.

"Mother… Uncle…" said this adult woman.

"My creation is good," Amara smiled.

"Like you said to me, what you've made is beautiful," Chuck added, releasing his hold on all of time so that it could resume its normal speed.

Amara smiled, then turned to her daughter and asked, "Have you decided upon a name for your physical form?"

"Sefira," answered the daughter, "For I am a wise emanation."

"Very well, Sefira," concluded the Darkness, "Henceforth your purpose is to enforce the Natural Order. You have become Death."

As her daughter nodded, God declared, "It is good."


	10. Bequest Of Instruments

Amara, with Chuck beside her, was not finished with Sefira. The Darkness informed God telepathically that she wanted to imbue nothing less than the best into her Lesser Darkness, her Dark Herald, made from a small portion of the abundant primordial basis of dark matter.

The older sister recalled her celestial nephew's feeble attempt to harm her by using what her younger brother had confirmed to be a Hand of God.

"Not too long ago," she began, "a celestial nephew of mine had the hubris to think he could harm me with a Hand of God."

The younger brother, knowing where this was going, prepared to suggest a handful of Tablets instead.

"Sis, may I suggest you create something like…" he began.

"No, Brother," the older sister interrupted, "far better."

The two siblings exchanged thoughts briefly, including the contents of the Tablets in question.

"That guardian angel of Dean's," Amara reflected, "was once able to obliterate an immediate son of yours instantly, and was once capable of eliminating an entire spiritual realm."

Chuck expressed shock, for he did not expect her to be inspired by that unfortunate episode. The Destroyer then focused on him.

"All that power was possible," the older sister continued, "because of a topic you and I will have a nice, long chat about after my daughter departs from here."

The younger brother gulped, as the elder sibling returned her attention towards the new creation.

"Behold Sefira," Amara declared. She raised her hand in the direction of her daughter, and then jewelry appeared on Sefira, to the latter's amazement. The daughter beheld an amulet necklace, an arm ring on each upper arm, and a ring on each ring finger.

"Each piece is an Instrument of the Darkness," she explained, "Like you innately, each piece can obliterate any immediate cousin of yours in an instant, or any spiritual realm, before requiring a protracted recharge. Each piece is designed to be used by you alone. On top of that, each piece may be recharged instantaneously by me or by drawing upon the abundant primordial basis of dark matter. Use, recharge, and reuse the Instruments wisely."

"Thank you, Mother," the Lesser Darkness expressed gratitude to her mother.

The Darkness declared, "This is good."

God remained in shock at the sight of far more powerful instruments than either his Hands of God or his Tablets.


	11. Bottomless Pit

"You are hereby dismissed. Go to your servants and introduce yourself to them," Amara enjoined her daughter.

The Darkness was amazed at all that she had created thus far, and at how fast she had created them, all because she had God as family once more. The Lesser Darkness, the Dark Herald, with all her innate power, with all her innate insight, and with all Instruments of the Darkness at her disposal, was teleported out of the Bar.

With the new creation no longer in their presence, Chuck could speak a piece of his mind.

"Sis," he began, "I can explain Castiel the one-time 'Lord' and also the Leviathans and Purgatory."

"Please do," the older sister retorted, "We may have forgiven each other, and you may have made some amends with that celestial nephew, but those beings were another instance of you being lock-happy."

"Amara, the creation of those monsters was not an early attempt at balance," the younger brother explained, "Simply put: I just screwed up."

"Like you did with those who became pagan deities? Like you did with monsters of various kinds? When I said that what you've made is beautiful," Amara responded, "I most certainly did not have those monstrous beings in mind."

"I know," Chuck admitted, before the two of them exchanged all their thoughts.

"If you really, really have to lock your monsters away," the older sister broke the silence, "then there are better realms than Purgatory. For the humans' sake, their vision of that place and yours do not jive. Where's the purification?"

"Any ideas?" her younger brother asked.

"What about the Bottomless Pit from human mythology?" she offered.

"Forming such a place, filled with darkness greater than Hell, would suit your hands more than mine," the younger brother cautioned.

The two siblings then went to work again, with the older sister summoning to herself another portion of the abundant primordial basis of dark matter, and with the younger brother manipulating time across all Creation to almost another standstill. Thus, the Bottomless Pit was formed.

"I did my part," the Darkness conveyed, "You do yours, and transfer all the monsters in Purgatory to the Bottomless Pit."

"Done," God acknowledged, and with a snap of his finger, transferred them all.


	12. Brooding Over Pagan Deities

"Now, Brother," Amara needled, "about those billions who became pagan deities…"

"What about them?" Chuck reacted, "Like you said, those who are still around are not exactly human-friendly beings."

"Are they so much like that one-time 'Lord' or what?" the Darkness nagged.

"You mean the fact that they got their power from unfortunate souls? Gee, Sis, who else do they remind us of?" God sassed.

"They, when they boosted their power, didn't absorb other beings' traits and memories, did they?" the elder sibling riposted, with a clear lack of amusement towards that jab at her.

"That said," Amara continued, "with billions of those beings around, I'm surprised they didn't feed on our children en masse after the latter stopped soothing the former's egos."

Her younger brother noted her emphasis of that one word at the end, a jab at him.

"I may have an idea," Chuck proposed, "A number of those pantheons include, outright, some sort of chaos deity who preceded the main deities. This setup is kinda like you and me, with their families, mythologies of primordial wars, and all."

"And like us, Brother, those mythologies don't mention any vengeful return of the chaos deities," the older sister mentioned with a playful voice.

"One difference, Sis," her younger brother added, "The main deities didn't try reasoning with their elders, and some of the latter thought of killing the former as mere infants."

The two siblings smiled heavily at each other, knowing that they themselves were fortunate not to have been in those ugly situations.

"Anyways," Chuck continued, "Perhaps Sefira can pose as every chaos deity and wipe the slate clean with just one attempt, no emotional strings attached."

Amara made it clear that she liked that idea. Although her daughter was not of nothingness, she was still of the primordial basis of dark matter, something that was absent from the pagan mythologies. By those standards, it was nothingness enough. Her daughter was the Lesser Darkness, after all.

"And then," the Darkness expressed sinisterly, "the other pantheons can witness the utter destruction of their pagan multiverse, before they themselves are swept away."

The Lesser Darkness was then enjoined telepathically.

God appreciated the irony behind that familiar declaration, knowing the certainty of the righteous destruction to be waged on behalf of his and her children, humanity.


	13. Bargaining Over Fates

While Amara briefed her daughter telepathically, Chuck became aware of an oversight in their conversation. Once the Darkness finished with the briefing, she saw God struggling not to panic.

"Brother, what's the problem?" she urged him to talk.

"Not every pagan pantheon or realm should be destroyed, Sis," her divine companion suspired.

"I know," she uttered to his surprise, "and Sefira just did a splendid job being a devil's advocate for each pagan pantheon and realm that has at least one being who has abstained from the abomination of demanding or absorbing human sacrifices as a means of obtaining greater power. She even challenged my very character in order to plead her case."

The look of surprise on the younger brother's face intensified. He recalled two ancient mortals who had challenged him like this, but those challenges were over two places only and over much fewer people by contemporary standards. Although the angels were still deployed for mass smiting after the first challenge, he never expected his very own niece to replicate and escalate those challenges over a greater number of realms and beings.

"Speaking of beings who have abstained from this abomination," he mentioned, "three of them from classical Greek lore are even under the regular employ of Heaven itself."

The Destroyer raised an eyebrow in response.

"Clotho, Lachesis, and, most notoriously, Atropos," the Creator listed the three, "were three ladies perceived by the classical Greeks to be the deities overseeing the pre-afterlife fates and destinies of all mortals, but some golden carrots on my part convinced them to renounce their insulated pantheon and even go beyond the idea of being Heaven's mercenaries."

"You know," cooed the confidante, "I wonder if those golden carrots involved guilty pleasures which should make you blush, were you ever to be confronted, even mildly, about them."

It did not take long before the confidant blushed.

"Just as I thought, womanizer," teased his divine companion, before silence and further contemplation ensued.

"Now that a more powerful being like Sefira is around to maintain Death's vision of a natural order, shouldn't these former flings of yours work more closely with her and, you know, be under her employ instead of Heaven's?" the Darkness broke the silence.

God, without hesitation, consented to this transfer of authority, and then the Lesser Darkness was enjoined telepathically once again.


	14. Broaching Archangelic Subjects

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: This AU follow-up to Season 11 Episodes 20 and 23 continues a bit into the following season, up until a month or two later in the show, the end of "Rock Never Dies" (Episode 7). The next few chapters have been set to occur at the same time as that Season 12 episode.

Amara was pleased by all that she and Chuck had done within the intimate space of the Bar. Twice, the Darkness created powerful things, and twice God slowed time down for her. However, a look of disappointment from the younger brother did not escape the attention of the older sister.

"I know that look, Brother. You're not disappointed about Sefira's mission, are you?" she asked.

"Not at all, Sis," her younger brother replied, "I was reflecting upon our creative roles and teamwork."

The two siblings exchanged their thoughts telepathically. There were very good reasons why Chuck was very much content with his role in slowing down time, while Amara did creation of her own.

"When I prepared for our confrontation, I was truthful in saying to the others that I couldn't reunify all my sons in time," he continued, "But now, with our creative roles and teamwork in this very Bar, do I want to?"

"You're still disappointed in them, aren't you?" Amara concluded, "I mean, you had none of your own sons in mind for filling Death's shoes."

"Should I have?" Chuck retorted quietly.

"You did apologize to your one-time favourite son, you know," the older sister noted softly.

"Indeed," the younger brother answered, "However, that apology and fighting a seemingly common threat together is different from going all the way to entrusting someone with all the powers of at least four Michaels and five more on top of them. All those four just have too much bad history to qualify."

"Although you exchanged similar thoughts with me when you first invited me here, those thoughts focused on the humans and the regular angels, leaving your own sons as an afterthought," Amara stated.

Chuck knew she was all too prepared for a long-winded diatribe on this, and so did not bother to attempt to change the subject even subtly.

"I'm all ears for your diatribe and ready when you are, Brother," the Darkness gave her assurance.

"Alright, Sis," God sighed, "Let's see where this goes."


	15. Broaching Archangelic Subjects: Gabriel

Amara prepared herself for Chuck's long-winded diatribe on his own sons, her own celestial nephews. The Darkness welcomed God's pending expressions of disappointment, but with sympathy.

"One son at a time, Brother," the older sister cautioned.

"In which order?" the younger brother asked.

"It's your call," the elder sibling responded.

"Alright," Chuck sighed. A short pause ensued.

"Well, starting with Gabriel: What can I say? To start off light, he never got around to playing with the horn I gave him. He became a trickster, learning all the tools of that trade from my favourite son," he began.

"When I asked him to love the humans more than me, he merely bowed down to them. He couldn't choose sides when Heaven's chips were down between the big boys," he remembered.

"He fled to Earth, but the least he could have done was pull off a Prometheus," he remarked.

_That Prometheus?_

_Yes, that benevolent pagan deity who finally died only a few years ago, and is thus spared from Sefira._

"I wouldn't have been bothered if he'd given humans lots of knowledge, other than that from the forbidden fruit. He did ultimately hold our children in high regard," he expressed.

"Instead," he continued, "he lived amongst the pagan deities and pretended to be one of them!"

"Just imagine, Sis," he exclaimed, "If I resurrected him while you slowed time down, the first thing he'd do is head straight for his former fellows and warn them about Sefira! He'd pull off a coup in their midst in a vainglorious attempt to stop the Lesser Darkness, just like Lucifer did in Heaven in his vainglorious attempt to lock you away again!"

Amara broke her silence.

"What were among his last words?" she inquired.

Chuck quoted in response, "These were to Lucifer about our children – 'Damn right they're flawed. But a lot of them try. To do better, to forgive. And you should see the Spearmint Rhino! I've been riding the pine a long time. But I'm in the game now, and I'm not on your side, or Michael's. I'm on theirs.'"

The Darkness shed what would remain a human tear, while God refrained from shedding one himself.


	16. Broaching Archangelic Subjects: Raphael

Amara calmed herself down, as Chuck was only getting started on his long-winded diatribe about his own sons, her own celestial nephews. The Darkness waited for God to continue.

"Continuing with Raphael: When I asked him to love the humans more than me, he merely bowed down to them. At least he chose a side, the right side, when Heaven's chips were down between the big boys," he began.

"When I left Heaven, first he lost his faith in me and tired of his duties," he remembered, "Then, he jumped to the weird conclusion that I was dead, that everyone continued to exist without me. Somehow, he totally forgot about your condition. Look what happened to our confrontation!"

_That is not the subject of your diatribe, Brother._

"Forgive my digression," he continued, "Anyway, he was never able to love the humans more than me. His mercies were limited to the angels. Even then, he was very traditional in his dealings with them. You know: hierarchy, salutes, and all that stuff."

"Politically," he remarked, "he supported Michael's Apocalyptic plans for shoving the angels' view of paradise on this world. He was Michael's right-hand man through and through. When the Apocalypse was averted, he tried but failed to free the big boys so that they could try again."

_Pathetic cataclysm for one mere world at best! Amateurs!_

"Oh," he recalled, "and he tried to become 'Lord' the same way Castiel did, by absorbing the spirits of the many monsters in Purgatory. He got his comeuppance, courtesy of that one-time 'Lord' snapping him out of existence."

Amara broke her silence.

"What were among his last words?" she asked.

Chuck quoted in response, "These were to Castiel about his ambitions – 'You'll kneel before me and pledge allegiance to the flag, all right? Me Castiel. Allegiance to me.'"

The Darkness was not impressed, and neither was God.


	17. Broaching Archangelic Subjects: Lucifer

Amara readied herself, as Chuck moved on to the next part of with his long-winded diatribe about his own sons, her own celestial nephews. For this part, the Darkness and God exchanged thoughts telepathically first, to recollect the relevant parts of what they informed each other from the family meeting onwards.

"What more can I say about Lucifer?" Chuck asked, "Oh yes, if he had known about our children's dual image, and especially about the intended balance behind it that he and his brothers could never have, he would've doubled down with his refusal to love our children more than me! Worse, he could've convinced all his brothers to try to give me the boot!"

_You still played with fire, Brother._

"A little piece of advice, Sis," he digressed, "Don't tell Sefira about humanity being created in the dual image of you and I."

"I already gave her that knowledge," the older sister satisfied her urge to reply, "when I created her. Unlike you and your sons, we have the maturity and mutual respect to deal with our children's dual image: she for accepting her being the Lesser Darkness, she for accepting the enforcing the Natural Order without emotional exceptions, we for accepting the intended balance that she could never have, and I for promising telepathically not to direct her to love our children more than me."

The younger brother was caught off guard by the transparency.

"That said," Amara remarked, "What more about your one-time favourite son?"

"Well," Chuck replied, "as you know from our family meeting, he wanted to destroy humanity through the Apocalypse. He even managed to coerce Death supernaturally to help fulfill his plans. Thankfully, Sefira…"

_Can't be banished or bound, except by you or me. Carry on._

"He had other interesting characters," he continued, "You saw the three other horsemen of mass destruction. Meanwhile, his Whore of Babylon could entice humans to murder in my name, and his would-be Antichrist was said to have the power to destroy, with a word, all those who would try to smite you."

Amara broke her silence.

"The horsemen were amateurs. The whore, given what we've discussed, was redundant. The would-be Antichrist wouldn't be anywhere near half-interesting without that power," the Darkness expressed judgment.

God did not feel like quoting his wayward son, and so prepared for the last part of his long-winded diatribe.


	18. Broaching Archangelic Subjects: Michael

Amara was glad that Chuck was almost finished with his long-winded diatribe about his own sons, her own celestial nephews: only one more to go. The Darkness was eager to listen to God.

"And now, ma'am, the very first yes-man in all my Creation: Michael," Chuck introduced sarcastically. The older sister adjusted to the tone coming from him.

"Papa's Boy," her younger brother sassed, "had no understanding of free will whatsoever, not even for himself. It's all a perfect plan by me, you see. Nay, make that an absolutely perfect plan within a supremely perfect plan!"

_So perfect that I should've been locked away for all eternity, right?_

"Then again," he stopped himself, "he wasn't made in our dual image, and so he merely bowed down to the humans when I asked him to love the humans more than me. Free will and the dual image will turn him into a much worse mental case than he is now, were he to find out about the latter."

"When I left Heaven," he remarked, "he became Heaven's strongman, ruling with a fist so strong that an iron fist would be a toddler's toy in comparison! Why, dear Sister, did he never go that extra step of declaring himself the new 'Lord' of all? His never-ending but blind loyalty to me did the trick. Surprise, surprise!"

"While he never really hated the humans," he remembered, "here was the very brainchild of some very Apocalyptic plans for shoving the angels' view of paradise on this world, regardless of how much of the latter would be destroyed. He was so sure of himself, of his oh-so-inevitable victory over Lucifer."

_Your sarcasm meter has really shot up with this guy._

"And the worst part?" he continued, "The Apocalypse has to be the absolute will of God, you see! He rejected free will so much that he couldn't take Lucifer up on his offer to have both of them walk off the chessboard!"

"Now, he's caged," he cautioned, "yet if he and Lucifer were to switch Apocalyptic roles, the world would be worse off for it, to put it very mildly."

"Thus spake the Lord," he sighed.

The Darkness appreciated her younger brother's long-winded diatribe, while God was emotionally exhausted.


	19. Braving The Truth

Amara prepared her response to Chuck's long-winded diatribe. The Darkness gathered her thoughts about what was said, combing through the fine details before engaging with God once again.

"To start off, Brother," the older sister responded, "you still owe it to your sons to reunify and repair them now. You still owe it to your sons to tell them now the woefully belated truth that all men and all women were made in the dual image of you and me. You still owe it to your sons to let them know now of the intended balance underpinning the dual image. You still owe it to your sons to let them know now that it's impossible for them to have this balance. You still owe it to your sons to apologize now for withholding all this knowledge from them."

"Sis, didn't you just hear all of what I just said?" the younger brother snapped.

"Yes, and so much more," Amara answered, "So what, if awareness of the points I just mentioned causes Michael to have a serious re-think about free will, walk off the chessboard, and be like an independent man who leaves his parents' house after enough time growing up?"

"So what," she continued, "if awareness of the points I just mentioned causes Lucifer to now think that humans are worse than abortions and cockroaches?"

"So what," she carried on her line of questioning, "if awareness of the points I just mentioned causes Raphael to compete with his brothers in trying to become the new 'Lord' of all?"

"So what," she finished her line of questioning, "if awareness of the points I just mentioned causes Gabriel to run away again, perhaps to his former fellows once more?"

"If, at best," she suggested, "they assert their independence from you and walk off the chessboard, they'll simply follow in your own footsteps when you removed yourself from the chessboard long ago."

"If, at worst," the Darkness concluded, "they try to raise arms against you, humanity, or both, then well, your niece and I will be with you every way we can. Just let me know when you're ready to reunify and repair your sons, so that I may recall her and slow all of time down."

"This had better be worth it," God answered.


	20. Bellicose Guests

Amara was informed by Chuck that she could recall Sefira at anytime. The Darkness understood that the intimate space of the Bar was the common but secret space for God and herself only. The Lesser Darkness, the Dark Herald, respected their privacy by making no attempts to discern its location, and by allowing herself to be teleported into, and out of, the Bar whenever she was being summoned or dismissed, respectively.

The older sister reached out to her daughter telepathically, and then summoned her.

"Mother, Uncle," Sefira addressed her hosts, "I just finished introducing myself to the Reapers."

"Your uncle here," shared the mother, "is about to reunify and repair your bellicose and dysfunctional cousins, and then tell them nothing but the whole truth behind humanity's creation."

"Dysfunctional?" asked her daughter, "Here I am, mightier than they just as you are mightier than G–"

"Don't let all that power get to you, kid," the uncle interrupted.

"Sorry, Uncle," Sefira apologized, "Mother, how those who aided and abetted your being locked away have now fallen!"

With Chuck nodding, Amara and her daughter exchanged thoughts telepathically, thoughts concerning what was disclosed about the four sons.

With her detailed knowledge of that terrible war, Sefira expected herself to distract the four individuals from attempting to fight or trick maliciously her mother. Expecting this, she transitioned to a bellicosity of her own.

"Given what we've just discussed," the mother broke the silence, "do extend your protection from them to your uncle here."

Her daughter did not expect to be told to defend her uncle, as well, from a similar reprisal by his own sons. Nonetheless, she nodded. Although she knew that Uncle Chuck was more than capable of protecting himself from those wayward cousins of hers, she knew that her services were far more than a goodwill gesture of sibling reconciliation. Chuck then indicated his full readiness to Amara.

The Darkness took to her true form of a dark cloud and proceeded to manipulate time across all Creation to almost, just almost, a standstill. The Lesser Darkness remained in her human form, observing.

For his part, God took to his true form of divine light, readying himself to reunify and repair all four of his sons.


	21. Band Of Brothers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: This AU follow-up to Season 11 Episodes 20 and 23 continues a bit into Season 12, up until a month or two later in the show, the end of "Rock Never Dies" (Episode 7). The real AU begins here.

Amara and Chuck went to work once more in the Bar. While slowing time across all Creation to almost a standstill, the Darkness observed God at his creative work.

In front of them, two forms were taking shape, while two others were in a deep slumber. The Destroyer remembered, as if it were yesterday, the first time these four beings were created, when she observed the first two forms continue to take shape. She also observed the Creator repairing the two which were in a deep slumber.

In the Bar, only one being remained in human form, over at the lounge. To her own surprise, the Lesser Darkness was in awe of the creative work that she was observing first-hand. When the work was just about done, she saw that the four beings remained unconscious. She then saw the divine light assume human form once again, but became surprised upon seeing that the dark cloud remained in its true form.

"Uncle Chuck," Sefira broke the silence from over at the lounge, "what about Mother?"

"She agreed to my surprise for all four sons," Chuck replied, "She's remaining in her true form so that she can have a much more inconspicuous presence in this Bar until then."

As the dark cloud made her presence less obvious, the two beings in human form exchanged thoughts telepathically.

Then, Chuck called out to his sons, "Rise and shine, boys!"

Thus, Michael, Lucifer, Raphael, and Gabriel gained consciousness and opened their eyes, reunified and repaired once more.

"Father!" exclaimed Michael.

"Daddy," declared Lucifer, with sarcasm.

"God," greeted Raphael, "in Prophet Chuck Shurley's body?"

"Dad?" asked Gabriel.

"Yes, sons," answered their father, "together again. Oh, and I pretended to be the prophet all along."

While Raphael was flabbergasted, Lucifer looked over his shoulders and around the Bar, and then noticed a terribly familiar-looking adult woman over at the lounge.

"One big happy family together again, eh Daddy?" asked Lucifer, again with sarcasm.

"So much so, that we even have Auntie Amara with us!"

The terribly familiar-looking adult woman looked stunned.

"Auntie Amara?" asked Gabriel, "Who's she?"

Lucifer replied to his younger brother, "The Darkness."

If the Darkness could chuckle over their shock while in her true form, she would, while God remained silent.


	22. But Whose Image?

Somewhere in the Bar, the real Amara smiled, while Chuck maintained his composure. The Darkness was beholding the moment of truth, while God was on the spot for it.

The Lesser Darkness should have known better before agreeing to Chuck's surprise for his sons. Upon her creation, she picked the same adult female form as her mother, but without a mark on her chest. Now, she played along.

"Lucifer," Sefira greeted, "I'm flattered."

The four brothers readied themselves for combat, only for their father to interrupt them.

"Stop!" he exclaimed, "Sons!"

The four brothers stood down immediately.

"Sons," Chuck welcomed in a lower voice, "we're together again because I have some secret truths to share with you."

"Or more likely one apology after another," Lucifer quipped. Turning to his brothers, he continued, "Hey, bros, Daddy apologized in person for entrusting the Mark to his favourite son in the first place!"

The other brothers rolled their eyes at that statement.

"Yes, I did apologize to you, Lucifer," their father confirmed, "Yes, you were my favourite son when I entrusted you the Mark, and my choice turned out to be wrong."

"And you are right," he conceded, "with these secret truths come apologies."

"Such as one for why you deserted us?" snapped Raphael.

A pause ensued.

"More fundamental than that: Let's flip back the page," the Creator recollected, "To the creation of humanity."

"Oh yes, Pops," Lucifer pouted, "and your obsessive-compulsive love for mankind?"

"I was being obsessive-compulsive, yes," Chuck admitted, "but not in love for mankind. Remember when I said, 'Let us make man in our image'?"

His four sons recalled.

"Whose image did you have in mind?" he challenged.

"Yours and ours," his four sons responded in unison.

"Wrong!" he declared.

"But yours and whose?" his four sons inquired, in unison. They then turned their gaze to the one whom they thought was their aunt.

"Don't look at me," the Lesser Darkness told them truthfully, raising her hands in innocence. Soon, she could drop her charade.

Suddenly, a dark cloud spread throughout the ceiling of the Bar. The place darkened, and the four sons were terrified and returned their gaze to their father. Then, part of the dark cloud descended beside Chuck to assume human form, before the rest of the dark cloud gathered to her.

"His and mine," answered the Darkness.

"Our image," God affirmed.


	23. Broken Pride

Amara stood beside Chuck, before the four sons. The Darkness had assumed her usual adult female form, but with a distinctively less cosmetic, more natural appearance, and this surprised even God. While the other sons absorbed the revelation slowly, Lucifer felt the urge to comment astutely, however briefly, before continuing with the revelation.

"Hi, Auntie Amara," the one-time favourite son greeted, "You've certainly gone quite the au naturel route, with straighter hair and a lot less makeup than when last we met."

"Dear nephew," the aunt reciprocated, "Nice to see in person, at last, you grinding your axe with God like you said."

"And what about your doppelganger over there?" the son inquired.

"Long story," Chuck ended the digression, "Anyways, all men and all women were created in the image of both of us."

"Why, Father?" implored the ever-obedient eldest son, Michael.

"Son," the father replied, "when I created you and your brothers, all of you could not have been anything but beings of light, despite your later shortcomings."

"That includes you, Lucifer," he pointed out.

"After the Leviathans were locked away," he narrated, "I had an image in my mind, which I wanted to realize as a tribute to my almost-fallen sister, despite our terrible war. This was to represent the fundamental balance underpinning all of Creation. As I mentioned earlier, you are beings of light, but because of this, you are incompatible with this balance. I'm so sorry for this, and I apologize for not being upfront with you about all this."

All four sons reacted with grief.

"Tell me, God," a stern Raphael queried formally, "Have you apologized to the Darkness here for using her likeness without her permission?"

"Yes, God has," Amara interjected with a terrifying look, "And you have no idea just how much I chewed him out for this involuntary donor-assisted creation of our children."

"Let me guess," a presumptive Gabriel suggested, "It's because of Aunt here that we of all beings are hearing these apologies together in wherever this place is."

The Darkness nodded.

"Correct," God answered, "Furthermore, I apologize for having told you to love those same children of ours more than me."


	24. Belated Doubling Down

Amara approved of the apologies that Chuck had made so far. After that one particular apology, though, both the Darkness and God expected Lucifer to capitalize on it. The one-time favourite son wasted no time with his father.

"Well, well, well," Lucifer started, "your obsessive-compulsive love for the balance of light and dark throughout Creation has led to billions of these abortion-worthy caricatures of that balance and their mess: the great evil throughout humanity before the Flood…"

The eldest entity in the room expressed disappointment, having just been reminded, however inadvertently, of how she herself found out about all this.

"Did I hit a nerve, Auntie?" mocked the accuser, noticing the expression.

Amara and Chuck then indicated clearly to everyone that they were controlling their mutual temper towards that question.

"Anyway, where was I?" the one-time favourite son resumed, "Oh yes, Daddy: that, the death and destruction under the Mongol conquests, the colonial atrocities, the Armenian genocide, the Holocaust, the killing fields, and enough of others for my then-caged – repeat, caged – self to lose count!"

"Sorry, Daddy," he continued, "but this time your apologies aren't enough. I should've doubled down on my Big No, and if I had known about these little secrets behind that… balance-forsaken… command of yours, I would have. Hell, I'll double down on that right now, just to catch up!"

"Son, I apologized for that event," Chuck answered, "Because I should have known that all of you could only, at best, bow down before humanity. You are, after all, who you are: beings of light."

Angrily, Lucifer turned his attention to his aunt.

"Hey, Auntie," he questioned, "How come your doppelganger over there looks so nonchalant over all this?"

"It's none of my business," the Lesser Darkness snapped.

"Actually, dear nephew, it's not yet your concern," the Darkness added with an expression of sadness.

God had one more apology to offer his four sons.


	25. Bypassed Sons

Amara awaited Chuck's final apology. The Darkness anticipated that the final apology from God to his four sons would impact three of them more than Lucifer. Already the eldest son was affected, as he made no attempt at all to put the blatantly wayward son in his place.

"I have one more apology to offer you," Chuck declared, "Because you are beings of light, you're not compatible with a recently deceased fellow's vision of a natural order."

"Surely Death cannot be deceased?" asked Raphael, with all his primordial knowledge.

"Those Winchesters can do almost anything, can't they?" Lucifer snapped, "I betcha we have them to thank for this very unexpected family reunion!"

"You have no idea," interjected Amara. The four sons were startled at that cryptic remark.

"Anyway," Chuck continued, "the Reapers needed a new leader, this time one with all the powers of at least four Michaels and five more on top of them."

The four sons were stunned at the power just described. Death had been, at most, as powerful only as their uneven supernatural powers combined, and certainly not as powerful innately as four or more times the firstborn. They dismissed their aunt, as she was greatly more powerful than what was just described.

The Lesser Darkness, knowing that her introduction would come, remained patient.

"Father," Michael spoke, "why not me?"

"Son, I just started telling you why," the father responded, "There's not enough left of my primordial creation to create from scratch another of you, let alone one with all the powers I've described."

"The only thing from which all that power could arise now is the primordial basis of dark matter," surmised Gabriel.

Michael became uncomfortable with the undertones, despite knowing that his aunt was of nothingness and not that.

"But you never touched that except during the creation of dark matter," he stated.

"I haven't," Chuck confirmed, "but I've helped someone step out of a comfort zone to do just that."

Instantly, Lucifer exclaimed, "No way! No way that…"

He turned towards his suspect and continued, "That – someone – could create from the primordial basis of dark matter!"

"Dears," the suspect cooed, "please give a proper hello to your cousin."

The four sons turned to see the Lesser Darkness smile and wave flirtatiously at them.

For their part, the Darkness and God looked on.


	26. Bombardment Of Thoughts

Amara braced herself for how Chuck would handle what was to come. Then, something else caught the common attention of the Darkness and God.

The Lesser Darkness was trying to understand this new sensation she felt upon seeing her four dysfunctional cousins in person, all the while trying to dismiss the fact that they did not ignore any of her five articles of jewellery while gazing at her. Moreover, there truly were fascinating things about these cousins, things which were only confirmed while they discussed with her uncle. If they were humans, Sefira thought, they would be beta males despite all their pretensions: the first never put himself above his reputation as his father's loyal son, the second displayed passive-aggressive behaviour and was highly emotional, the third just had to be the consummate problem solver among them, and the fourth tended to avoid confrontation as much as he could.

The nigh-omnipotent siblings exchanged, by telepathic means, encrypted thoughts about what caught their attention.

_Brother, did… did… Sefira… just give your… four sons that particular… look?_

_The same look you yourself, Sis, gave Dean during every encounter with him?_

_Or… the same look giving away your… horrible-as-always taste in men?_

_Yep, that's the look. Despite the past times when I thought you were bossy, at least you were a beta character like the rest of us primordial beings._

_Is my daughter the first… alpha character… on the level of primordial beings?_

_This won't affect us very much, Sis. Things would become very interesting for my four sons, however, should your daughter get her way with them._

Meanwhile, Sefira was bombarded with thoughts from numerous directions. She regretted saying that the conversations around all but the last of her uncle's apologies were none of her business. Her four cousins, however dysfunctional, remained beings of light, but she herself remained a being from the primordial basis of dark matter. Given her enforcement of Death's vision of a natural order, she was grateful that her mother had promised not to direct her to love humanity more than herself. Somehow, she thought of the possibility of loving celestial offspring of her own more than her mother, as human mothers did.

The Lesser Darkness tried to put all these simultaneous thoughts together, but little did she know that her thoughts were not shielded from either the Darkness or God.


	27. Bonded To Superior Balance

Neither Amara nor Chuck broke their silence. Both the Darkness and God wanted the Lesser Darkness to put her new sensation and her thoughts together, and so continued to exchange encrypted thoughts by telepathic means.

_Brother, I don't wish to go too far ahead, but I don't know if a celestial offspring who is a being of light and of the primordial basis of dark matter could be the beginning of a superior representation of the balance of light and dark throughout your Creation._

_Superior to humanity, Sis? What will become of them, and what about the limited pool of that offspring?_

_Perhaps enough of such celestial offspring could have offspring of their own among humanity, improving the human gene pool? For now, these new beings should, at least, be worthy of parental love from your most immediate children and mine._

_On the other hand, if you thought I had an ego to contend with, just wait until Sefira's current thoughts mix with her alpha ego. I advised her not to let all of her power get to her for a good reason._

_Are you suggesting my daughter will think that her actions leading to the celestial offspring will be superior to your creation of humanity?_

_Lucifer tried to become the new 'Lord.' Raphael did the same. So did Castiel. None of them had the power and determination to make this giant leap that would have legitimized their claims. You, dear Sis, have greatly more than enough power, but nowhere near the ego, to become the new 'Lady' of the omniverse. It was and is your time to shine, but you value our being family again way more than that._

_I'm flattered, dear. Does that mean, though, that this omniverse has found its new 'Lady' with perhaps just enough power, and certainly more than enough alpha ego?_

_I am optimistic that the parental love will keep the latter in check._

_As am I, Brother._

Thus, the Darkness and God continued to confide in each other.


	28. Brazen Imitation

Amara and Chuck continued to observe their guests and read their minds. For the Darkness and God, their focus continued to be on their most powerful guest.

The Lesser Darkness, meanwhile, just remembered an insight imparted by her mother. The sensation she felt while smiling and waving flirtatiously at all four of her dysfunctional cousins turned out to be the same one that her mother felt towards the human who freed her, even if only inadvertently; the mother felt bonded towards that human. She felt the urge to look past their beta characters, to feel sorry for them, and to get to know them more. However, she felt strongly that doing that last part would entail far more than simply satisfying her own curiosity.

Sefira delved further into the insight of her mother's feeling bonded. When she recollected that her mother had even kissed the human instead of consuming his soul, her sensation and even all the scattered thoughts made sense. Although neither she nor the four beta characters could love the existing dual image of light and dark more than their respective parents, they could do something similar when it came to a new dual image from their own combined efforts. It was just that those efforts had to be procreative, and that the new dual image had to be their direct progeny; even if their parents were not siblings, her mother's nothingness simply could not be reproduced.

Besides, when it came to her cousins, Sefira thought that only with her could these psychologically adolescent primordial beings become men: the first from his being a papa's boy, the second from his perennial teenage angst, the third from his chronic orphan mentality, and the fourth from his teenage runaway past. She summoned everything sultry about herself and her procreative awakening.

"Hey, cousins," a more sensual voice of the Lesser Darkness cooed as she showed her collarbone slowly, "let's get to know each other more, shall we?"

All four brothers gave a very nervous reaction to her advances.

The Darkness was flattered by her daughter's brazen imitation of her own display of the Mark, while God struggled not to chuckle.


	29. Brotherly Resentment

Amara was curious to know about how her four nephews were taking in all of this, while Chuck gathered his resolve. The Darkness and God then focused their attention towards them.

The four brothers were conflicted emotionally. On the one hand, they were not finished with either their father or their aunt, and wanted to speak their minds. On the other hand, they were very nervous about their much younger, more feminine, yet more aggressive cousin. Lucifer noticed his older brother's resentment and seized the initiative.

"Brother," he started, "Is this really the father whom you or I have known before? This time, it wasn't I who caused him to cozy up with Auntie and become this shadow of the being he once was. My past offer stands: Let's just walk off the chessboard. I'll even follow your lead once again, wherever you choose to go."

Michael was amazed that his rebellious brother was willing to put aside, practically if not emotionally, his own contempt for humanity.

"We're brothers, and the upstart is not one of us," the younger brother emphasized, insulting his cousin in the process.

"Besides," Raphael interrupted to address Michael, "The new Republic of Heaven could use a masculine President for Life, whether it's you or me."

Everyone in the Bar rolled their eyes upon hearing that very broad of a backhanded comment. Apparently, Raphael was not afraid to say this in the combined presence of his own father, his aunt, and his cousin, in addition to his eldest brother.

"If that's the case," Gabriel suggested, "then maybe I should simply go back to my old life. I had thought of becoming a new Prometheus, only to come across all of these disappointments, which are too much to bear."

Michael was absorbing everything his brothers had said. The only things certain in his mind were that his expectation of an apology for parental abandonment had dissipated, and that one being was no longer the same father he had known.

The Lesser Darkness was surprisingly amused about being insulted by her cousins like that. She would still see to it that they become hers.

Thus far, things were going just as the Darkness had discussed with God and had prepared him psychologically for.


	30. Bar Of Brotherly Love

Although things were going within the bounds of best cases and worst cases, Amara and Chuck did not expect Lucifer to even consider ending his quarrels with humanity. The Darkness did not see this being consistent at all with his now-increased contempt for humanity, while God underestimated the brotherly bond shared by his four sons.

Although Michael was not impressed with how Raphael delivered his ultimatum over who should rule indefinitely over the new Republic of Heaven, and although he thought that his father was no longer the same father he had known, he considered another inspiration and turned to Lucifer.

"Yes, we're brothers," the eldest brother confirmed and turned to embrace his long-time nemesis.

"Let's get off the chessboard and get out of here, Brother," he continued.

Their aunt and their father began to shed tears of relief, recalling their own reconciliation. As Amara had discussed with him, Chuck was very prepared for his eldest son to follow his footsteps one last time in this very different way, understanding free will at last, abdicating the command of Heaven like he himself did, and now traversing on his own.

"What's with your change of heart, Brother?" asked Lucifer, still in the brotherly embrace.

"If Father and Aunt can be family again, then why can't we?" responded the eldest son.

"I'll miss your command of Heaven," remarked Raphael. His remark fell on deaf ears.

Amazed at the brotherly embrace that was never even considered, Gabriel reconsidered, as well.

"Group hug!" the youngest son exclaimed, before throwing himself at his eldest brothers to join in their embrace.

The remaining son walked slowly, struggling with second thoughts about the embrace.

Looking on, Sefira did not expect that none of the brothers would simply ignore their aunt and their father, and be family on their own terms. She then decided to let them have their own sibling time together, wherever they might go, before resuming her moves on them.

Chuck informed the brothers, "Sons, I wish you all the best in your journeys! Let me know if you wish to visit this Bar at some point."

"Until then, farewell to you both," replied Michael, making eye contact with his father and his aunt.

Knowing that it would take some time before that would happen again, the Darkness and God then teleported their respective offspring out of the Bar.


	31. Beaming Reflections

Together with just each other once again, Amara and Chuck had much to discuss about what had just transpired in this very Bar. The Darkness had presented to God what she thought were the best case and the worst case. Even if her brother's sons walked off the chessboard, she expected them to walk their separate ways entirely.

"I missed that possibility entirely, Brother," uttered the older sister.

"As did I, Sis," shared the younger brother, "How could Lucifer square his doubled qualms about humanity with the circle of really nixing his quarrels with them?"

While hearing that beaming reflection, the elder sibling had a beaming reflection of her own.

"And just how did Michael manage to take a page from my book?" she questioned. During the climax of the reunion, she identified with her eldest nephew, as he felt betrayed by Lucifer since very long ago. She determined that only his long-standing belief in an absolute will of God prevented him, during all this time, from seeking revenge.

"All of that happened, and we never ever got around to telling them how we ourselves became family again," remembered the other sibling.

"Well," Amara mused, "at least they became family again without hearing pleas from the two of us, witnessing all of existence fade around them, or being in the process of dying."

The two siblings shed tears, extended their arms, and grasped one another in a tight embrace. Truly, they thought, those four beings changed just as they themselves had.

Once their embrace had ended, the older sister prepared to summon a witty response to the remark about telling those four beings about becoming family again.

"Oh, well," the Darkness jested, "We might not have told your sons how we became family again, but once their family meeting is over, Sefira will most certainly do so."

"They'll need those words from her," God added with a smile, "and much more."


End file.
